Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1887-11-09
Gordon on Jefferson Davis.

i CINCINNATI, ONO, October 29.-In his
speech here last night Gov. Gordon, OF
Georgia, alluded to the reception of JEFF.
Davis at Macon as follows 'sIt is charged
that we cheered jeff Davis. Does that
mean going to war again? Let us reason.
Suppose we didn't. Suppose we turned
our back on this pale-faced, broken down
man? Why, did he do that hadn't done
j ] don't think shot anybody, but tried
Z pretty had. You might ask me to turn q
cold shoulder on the wife of my BOSOM
She went with me to the front. She follow
ed me to camp, shared my dangers even to
picket and at times IN danger of the bat
tie, and under Providence I owe to her
tender nursing that my life was spared
me. Why should hate her? If we
should turn our backs on that man, refuse
him our sympathies, we should merit the
scorn of every brave man in this audience
and you would feel an absolute contempt
for us. When jeff Davis left the United
States Senate he left 1t rich with regret
and full of political honor. For our sakes
he became poor and debarred forever from
political honors in his own country. He
| fingers to-day with broken health and
scarcely place to lay his head, dragging
after him wounded limbs, with increasing
suffering, that followed him from Buena
Vista. What would you think of me If
said, Go hence; have no more use for
you.' I am not going to do it. would
have contempt for Gen. Morgan (who sat
| on the stage) if he went back on the grand
old name of Abraham Lincoln. Put your
self in the other fellow place. 1t was my
| fortune few weeks ago, in Philadelphia,
to take part in the celebration of the adop-
| tion of the Constitution. and when Georgia
had taken her part / was proud as I stood
| in the streets to see the shattered remnants
| of the Union army bearing the shattered
remnants of the old flags, and as they were
viewed by that October light, amid the
shouts of ten thousand throats, felt that
thrill that I knew was pulsatipg in the
veins of strong, grand men. remnants of
the Grand Army of the Republic. Why
shouldn't I2 They were consecrated to
the cause which was to those gathered
around them as holy as honor and truth
I would have no faith in home and liberty
if those men did not love their old flags
So, too, we loved ours. Let US get out of
the universe when hatred of the South is
called LOYALTY to the North. am going
to show you that our children should love
their flags a man is better who has the
nerve to do Justice, whatever it costs. Was
there any honor in carrying these cid fagsa
| They, too, were woven by the patriotic
hands of southern women. They we're de-
livered to husbands and brothers, consecra-
ted by tears and prayers. SOME were rent
with bullets, blackened with gunpowder,
and redeemed with the blood of the brave.
| Don't we build monuments to Confederate
deads Why. Gen. Grant, the greatest gen.
eral of the Union army, said he was willing
to share in the dedication of monument to
the Confederate dead. There isn't good
sense in it, and the man who tries to stir
! your passions does not deserve your votes.
You see in some Of your papers column
after column about rebel flags. This is the
truth. I was there. There were in all
that great Central city of Macon, Ga, a
dozen Confederate flags and $4,000 of stars
and stripes; and yet some people are SO
color blind that they could notsee anything
but rebel flags, and yet the very carriage
that bore jeff Davis and the very horse
that drew him were literally covered with
Union flags. The very house that he was
in was covered with them as to almost
| blind him.
| Some speeches were made. A leader was
chosen to present the memento of affection
to his wife and the great climax of it was
that the Union was rehabiitated on firm
| er basis than ever.